Weight
1 2/5 - 1 3/4 oz
(40 - 50 g)
Body Length
6 - 6 1/3 in
(15 - 16 cm)
Underwood's Bonneted Bat
Eumops underwoodi
Photo credit: J. Scott Altenbach
Chiroptera
Yangochiroptera
Mollosidae
Call Characteristics
Low frequency caller (10-25 kHz)
Underwood's bonneted bat has a gray to sandy brown color and large ears. It is the second largest bat in the US after the greater bonneted bat. This species lives in desert, grassland, and decidious forest habitats and has been observed roosting in cacti, under palm fronds, and among foliage. Its range spreads from southern Arizona to Nicaragua and this species migrates south for the winter. This bat is fast and has been clocked flying at speeds over 43 km/hr (27 mi/hr)! Underwood's bonneted bat feeds on insects including leafhoppers, moths, grasshoppers, and beetles. Mothers give birth to one pup per year.
There are various sources for bat species range maps including IUCN, NatureServe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ECOS, and the National Atlas of the United States.
Habitat Range
Information used to populate this page was obtained from the following sources:
NatureServe Explorer
United States Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Conservation Online System
Bat Conservation International Bat Profiles
National Atlas of the United States. (2011). North American Bat Ranges, 1830-2008. National Atlas of the United States. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/pz329xp4277.
Taylor, M. 2019. Bats: an illustrated guide to all species. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books.